State of the Royce

Health: Tuesday I went to the cardiologist to get checked out concerning my heart troubles. After some questioning, and EKG and a another EKG done during a stress test, he concluded that I'm not a candidate for a heart attack right now, but that I am very much out of shape. So I'm cleared to exercise again so long as I track my heart rate and keep it under 140 bpm.

Writing: Has been stagnant. I've been itching to write, but when I get the opportunity I just stare off into space. Even getting myself together to write this journal was an effort. I think it's a bad case of Seasonal Effective Disorder. There's 70 days until Spring and it can't come fast enough, frankly.

Bleh.

Review: Earth vs. the Flying Saucers

Summary: On their way to a remote rocket testing base in southwest, the recently married Dr. Russel and Carol Marvin are overflown by a flying saucer. Soon they find themselves in a desperate battle to fight a fleet of the ships from outer space, which are bent on taking over the world.

Review: Written by blacklisted Bert R. Gordon and also Curt Siodmak, with special effects by Ray Harryhausen and released in 1956, Earth vs. the Flying Saucers is probably the arch-typical 50's science fiction film. With the jut jawed Dr. Marvin, fretful but determined military men and relentless aliens, it's almost a parody of what we think of mid-century science fiction films. Except that unlike most of these movies, it's pretty darned good.

It's not perfect by any means. But the acting is competent, the script is tight and Harryhausen's special effects lay waste to Washington D.C. in a manner we wouldn't see until Independence Day almost forty years later. In other words, it's a great popcorn movie.

The DVD set I got for Christmas is lovely, with a lovely crisp print supported by Sony's "Chromacolor" colorization process. It's a vast improvement over the washed out colorization process from the 90's, but if you don't care for it, you can turn it off by using your DVD's Angle button. On the second disc are a load of extras, including a conversation between Harryhausen and Tim Burton, an explanation of modern stop-motion animation techniques, a half-hour history of the Hollywood Blacklist, and a remembrance of the movie with Joan Taylor, who played Carol Marvin, among other things.

Highly recommended for 50's sci-fi fans.

Okay, this is getting ridiculous!

My sister called the house and talked to moonshadowed. Apparently Mom got some serious abdominal pain and went to the hospital, where they're prepping her for surgery due to appendicitis. It's a routine procedure, but any surgery at her age is serious. I think I'm going to skip out of work to be there when she comes out.

Mom Update

She came through surgery with flying colors and was in a private room by 5:45pm. She was feeling very chilly and was wrapped from head to toe in blankets to warm up, and of course hurt quite a bit, but she was feeling a bit better by the time I left. I couldn't hug or kiss her after being exposed to Tracy, who has the stomach flu, and I made sure to wear a surgical mask, but it was good to see her. She probably won't be out tomorrow, but maybe Saturday if things look good.